DVD Review: Get ready for multiple editions

(Left to right) Zoe Saldana is Uhura and Zachary Quinto is Spock in "Star Trek into Darkness."

(Left to right) Zoe Saldana is Uhura and Zachary Quinto is Spock in "Star Trek into Darkness." (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions)

Andy Klein

“Star Trek Into Darkness” — the second of director J.J. Abrams' reboot of the original TV characters — did well at the box office but didn't quite equal his first entry, “Star Trek” (2009). In an industry where expectations rule, this had to be a disappointment, despite making more than $200 million — some of which, albeit, was through inflated 3D prices.

Nonetheless, count me among those who found its virtues in the same ballpark as those of its predecessor, maybe a little better and certainly not significantly worse. The 3D wasn't bad, but it accounted for perhaps one percent of the film's pleasure; i.e., you won't be missing anything important if you don't have a 3D TV set.

Unsurprisingly, the image is excellent, as is the sound mix. The only problem here is one I've criticized Paramount for in the past: There are “exclusive” editions prepared for the benefit of major retailers, including Best Buy and Target. Each has different additional extras — exclusive, right? — which means that completists have to buy multiple copies.

What the generic release has is minimal — seven short (2 to 9 minutes each) featurettes, totaling a little more than 42 minutes. These focus on individual crafts or scenes. The first few are at best adequate, but about half of the batch are a little better. The last is a brief rah-rah piece about using Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as extras, followed, without real explanation, by a public service spot about The Mission Continues, an organization that helps vets.